Floor structure for railroad cars



y 1943- J. 5. LUNDVALL FLOOR STRUCTURE FOR RAILROAD CARS Fil ed Dec. 26, v 1940 -Patented May 25, 1943 2,320,001 FLOOR STRUCTURE FOR RAILROAD CARS John S.

Asbestos &

Lundval Chicag Rubber Company,

corporation of Illinois Application December 26, 1940,

o, 111., assignor to Union Chicago, 111., a

Serial No. swipes 8 Claims. (Cl. 105-422) This invention relates to an improved floor structure for railroad cars, and is particularly suitable for the construction of refrigerator cars.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a beam which can be pre-fabricated from sheet metal to form a light, strong structural member.

Another object of this invention is to form a beam in channel form, inclined longitudinally from the middle to the two ends thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel form of beam, a plurality of which can be secured together with alternate beams inverted, to form a structural member of great strength.

Another object of this invention is to provide a metal floor supporting structure which can be supported from the side sills at the sides of the car, but which will nevertheless have sufficient strength to carry the cargo load without the use of intermediate stringers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light-weight car floor structure of pressed metal beams so arranged as to give the maximum strength in relation to the weight of the materials used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor structure in which all of the parts may be welded together and to the supporting sills to compose an integral floor unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide afioor structure which can be simply and easily pre-fabricated from a few uniform parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a floor structure in which the transverse floor beams are all identical and can be installed without special tools and without any cutting or shaping of the parts after their original fabrication.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fireproof and watertight floor construction which provides a desirable pitch for drainage of the floor area.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the floor of a refrigerator car equipped with the floor structure of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the middle of the floor structure at one end of the car, taken on the line 2-2 Fig.3 is an end elevation of Fig. 1; of two adjacent floor structure members, or floor beams of this invention, before the flooring is laid down;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 of one of the floor structure members, or floor beams, showing the flooring secured thereto; and

Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. 4 of a modified form of floor beam.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral H indicates a car which may be, except for the floor structure and floor supports therein, of conventional construction. Longitudinally of the car is a heavy beam l2 which runs through the length of the car and is secured in a familiar manner to the trucks upon which the car is borne. Transverse bolsters l3 are supported by the central longitudinal beam l2. These bolsters are channel beams or flanged plates of familiar construction in the shape of truncated triangles. These bolsters extend from the central longitudinal beam to the sides of the car where they support the side walls.

overlying the central beam l2 and the bolsters i3 is the sub-floor M which is of heavy plank construction but may suitably be made of metal or other familiar materials.

The bolsters l3 not only support the sub-flooring [4, but also side beams I5 to which the siding 16 of the car ll is secured in the customary manner. This construction is generally common in the railroad car art and may be varied in many ways.

Prior to this invention it was customary to support upon the sub-flooring l4 a series of longitudinal stringers supported upon their edges which ran the full length of the car to support cross beams and flooring upon them. These were either placed directly upon the sub-flooring 14, or, if the car were insulated, upon several layers of insulation overlying the sub-flooring. In either case the stringers were secured to the subflooring I l and the bolsters l3. 1 This construction was extremely heavy and where the car was designed for refrigerator use and required insulation between the sub-floor l4 and the floor of the car, the installation of such insulation was almost impossible unless the stringers rested upon the insulation, when they compressed it to such an extent that its efficacy was greatly reduced. In addition, the longitudinal stringers intervening between the floor of the car and the sub-floor were conductor members which prevented the effective insulation of the car interior from the sub-floor, which was, of course, exposed to the weather.

of the car and the d by side sills I1 which These are preferably of an angular beam, may be changed withple of this invention. The side sills"! 1 may be supported upon the side beams l5 by vertical pillars l8. These may consist of single vertical pillars place flooring is entirely supporte run the length of the car.

of metal in the form although the form thereof out aiTecting the princi shown herein the side si formed from an integral Supported by the side sills I! and the rails I9 are the floor supporting members or floor beams 20. These may be either of the preferred form shown in Fig. 3 or in the simpler modified form I 20 shown in Fig. 5. Referring first to the simpler form of beam I20 shown in Fig. 5, a fiat sheet of metal is pressed into a form which is substantially U-s'haped in section but which is formed with the beam normally designed to ing, but also to give t provide maximum st employed in the man after described.

In the more complex and beam shown in Fig. 3', th tosf'orm three adjacent portions, the middle one he beam a form which will rength when the beam is ner of this invention herepreferred form of e sheet metal is pressed substantially U the ends ed with an inclination from e middle 2| thereof as indicated of the-beam to'th in' Figs. 1 and 3. .IObviously, the fied by a furth the final unit. H The floor structure of this invention is fabricated by securing together a nu d at intervals through from the side sills I the use of The space able insulation 2 the floor beams ar cured to the floor b in Fig. 4. Adjacent shee together as indicated at strength to the car itself by the. instal frigeration of by which the water the floor fr be led from ventional manner with. the longitud the sub-flooring thereto.

porting the side sills In the installation this invention th he angular rails l9 an 1. The floor structur trength and rigidity for The employment of the ull width of the car an ides of th 7 any stringers intervening be floor beams 20 4 and the The employmen eams bly by plug welding as i 26 It is apparent that The interior I lati es within the cars. If the car is t the car. In the use 0 rs I3, de beams secured Obviously, variations in e car by the side of the car ma ducts for the v ts of the str its weight. se b d s sills beneath tween th can be fi plates 24 which d thus support the beams earns, extended the imported along the ll, eliminates the car floor.

lled with suitwhich may be installed before e laid into position.

may be $8- 20 by bolts are preferin Fig. 4.

the walls running down th om the ridge 2! the form g the ndicated at the Weld 25 ts 24 may also be welded y the risers 21 which serve entilation and ree pitch of to the side sills will inal beam l4 and the The pillars supand dimenucture may vary advantages tative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A structural member comprising a plurality of channel beams of substantially uniform U- shaped cross-section throughout their length and each having its two end portions straight and meeting at the center at an obtuse angle, said beams being alternately inverted and the adjacent sidewalls thereof being secured together.

2. A structural member comprising a plurality of beams each having straight end portions meeting at the center at an obtuse angle, and each beam comprising a plate formed into a plurality of adjacent substantially U-shaped channels of uniform section throughout the beam length, each alternate channel a common side wall with the channel adjacent thereto, said beams curing the side wall of each beam to the adjacent side wall of each adjacent beam, and each alternate beam being inverted.

3. A floor for a railroad car comprising a pair of side sills, a plurality of transverse floor beams supported thereby, each of said floor beams comprising a substantially U-shaped cross-section uniform throughout the beam length and having straight end portions meeting at the middle at an obtuse angle, and each alternate beam being inverted with respect to the adjacent beams and the side flanges of adjacent beams being secured together throughout their length, and flooring supported by said floor beams.

4. A floor for a railroad car comprising a pair of side sills and a flooring structure secured thereto, said flooring structure comprising a plurality of transverse floor beams secured together and supported upon said side sills, each of said floor beams comprising a substantially U-shaped crosssection uniform throughout the beam length and having straight end portions meeting at the middle at an obtuse angle, and each alternate beam being inverted with respect to the adjacent beams and the side flanges of adjacent beams being secured together throughout their length, and a plurality of metal flooring plates secured to said floor beams.

5. A structural building unit comprising a panel being secured together by sebeing inverted and having thicker at its center line than at its two opposite edges and tapering from its center line to said two edges, the panel being formed by a plurality of beams running from one of said edges to the other and arranged side by side in the panel, each of said beams being formed of sheet material of U-shaped cross section, bent at its longitudinal center, and each alternate beam being inverted with respect to the adjacent beams and having its side flanges secured to the side flanges of the adjacent beams throughout their length.

6. A structural building unit comprising a panel thicker at its center line than at its two opposite edges and tapering from its center line to said two edges, the panel being formed by a plurality of beams running from one of said edges to the other and arranged side by side in the panel, each of said beams being formed of sheet material of U-shaped cross section, bent at its longitudinal center, and each alternate beam being inverted with respect to the adjacent beams and having its side flanges secured to the side flanges of the adjacent beams throughout their length, and a covering sheet secured to said beams at one face of the panel.

7. A structural member comprising a plurality of beams each having straight end portions meeting at the center at an obtuse angle and being of uniform section throughout its length, each beam comprising a plate formed to provide side flanges at its edges, alternate beams in the member being inverted and each beam having its side flanges rigidly secured to the side flanges of adjacent beams.

8. A structural building unit comprising a panel thicker at its longitudinal center line than at its two opposite ends and tapering from its center line to said two ends, the panel being formed by a plurality of beams running from one of said ends to the other and arranged side by side in the panel, each of said beams having straight end portions meeting at the center at an obtuse angle and being formed of sheet material having side flanges at its opposite sides extending throughout the length of the beam, alternate beams in the panel being inverted and each beam having its side flanges rigidly secured to the side flanges of the adjacent beams.

JOHN S. LUNDVALL. 

